Doomed to repeat
by dldaddy
Summary: Several thousand years after a failed experiment, a new Yautja attempts what could not be done before. Will his experiment doom two races? Chapter 11 is up! Please R&R! Rated T for language, some explicit depictions and violence
1. Chapter 1

**This is my first intro into the AvP universe, so I hope you like it. Please feel free to correct me for any wrong terminology to do with the Yautja or any other part of the AvP universe.**

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_Aboard Yautja planetary station Ewinjou_

_April 3rd, 2203_

_Sol Relative time_

Nyo'Tak studied the papers carefully. The Yautja's normal vision prohibited reading of such material, but the enhancement goggles he wore have Nyo'Tak perfect sight. What a glorious time to reminisce about. The combination of Yautja and human DNA looked to be quite a prize to hunt. It intrigued Nyo'Tak as to why the practice had been abandoned, but he dared not inquire into the matter, as he assumed it probably violated some unspoken code amongst his kind. Plus, Nyo'Tak did not want to ask questions that would lead to questions being asked of him.

Nyo'Tak shifted his gaze and looked curiously at the female human resting in suspended animation. How ineffective the human form was. No natural attributes would lead them to be classified as hunters in their own right. No, they had to rely on their crude ballistic weapons or cutting instruments as their only form of defense against the Yautja, or against any prey for that matter. This female's offspring, however, was going to be different. Through painstaking work by himself and his underling, Nyo'Tak had retrieved the ultimate reproductive specimen.

The human's pelvis was adequately proportioned to promote ease to birth. Ample bosoms revealed sufficient sustenance would be possible once the specimen was born. Nyo'Tak did not know what the species would be called, but he would have time to figure it out. This specimen would be the epitome of the hunt. A combination of two species infused with resourcefulness and power. His plan would be glorious.

It had to be his plan, however, as most Yautja would assume dispose of her and him for that matter. His research would be seen as a waste of time. Maybe that was true, and maybe the human's would never be worthy of a true hunt. Honorable hand-to-hand combat with the creatures was barely laughable, as the Yautja were certainly much stronger and faster. His creation, however, would not be seen as frivolous.

Columns of small bubbles ascended their way around the female's form, some clinging to her curves as she rested quietly. The female's extremities each were held straight downward by the liquid's viscosity, as if she were at rest on her back. More forceful bubbles erupted from her breathing apparatus as she exhaled. Glowing blonde hair moved effortlessly and lazily about her head, as if to defy gravity's existence.

Nyo'Tak's mandibles clicked as he pondered the implications of what he was doing. Common sense would dictate that a male would be born for the hunt. However, the thought of infusing the more powerful female Yautja DNA into the specimen was quickly seducing him. The female offspring living to become self-sustaining would be an ultimate goal, as Nyo'Tak's intervention would no longer be required. Careful consideration had been given to ensure the human physiology would remain intact to aid in attracting mates and reproducing.

Nyo'Tak mused that humans wouldn't be too inclined to mate with something that looked like a predator.

Would he be able to defeat a female Yautja in hand-to-hand if it came to it? The human DNA would surely limit some of the specimen's capabilities, but would it be enough for a single male to defeat it? Nyo'Tak himself had been on many hunts, and killed several human along with other species. Dangers or not, the idea of this hunt was too enticing for Nyo'Tak to be swayed from it.

"Nyo'Tak, core temperatures and DNA attrition are at appropriate levels for infusion. We need to begin the fertilization process." The young assistant refused eye contact with Nyo'Tak as he pivoted around to face the youngling.

"Very well, Ako'Ten, begin the procedure. I shall adjourn to my quarters for the night. Let me know immediately if there are any problems."

Ako'Ten bowed gracefully as Nyo'Tak exited the room. Ako'Ten was always careful not to anger his attendant, choosing not to be another head trophy for the elder to polish and mount.

The Yautja's hands moved gracefully over the holographic console as he typed commands and eyed readouts on the corresponding screen. Ako'Ten clicked his mandibles in satisfaction as he reviewed the last of the procedure's parameters. With the press of one last key, a sudden motorized noise filled the room as metal arms with circular tubes descended from the top of the cryo tube.

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_Aboard Yautja planetary station Ewinjou_

_January 11th, 2204_

_Sol Relative time_

Ako'Ten studied the displays nervously as the young offspring continued to cry. The Yautja could tell at least the child's lungs were strong, as it had yet to silence since birth. She had been surgically removed from her mother's womb as unforeseen complications had continued to arise from the child's size.

The DNA infusion the Yautja had performed had increased the child's length to nearly sixty-three centimeters, with the offspring weighing just beyond ten kilograms. The additional requirements for growth and sustenance, while typical for a Yautja child, had taken more than the human had to give as her life quickly faded.

"The female has expired, Nyo'Tak."

"And what of the offspring? Will it be able to live?" The succession of chirps from the elder's mandibles alerted Ako'Ten that he was not pleased with the news.

"Not without intervention, my liege. It appears we will have to return the youngling to the human race, rather than continue here."

"So be it, I will not have this… setback keep me from the hunt. Return the offspring to the human's world. Try to ensure it is to be raised by their warriors. It must be a fitting prey for the time of my glorious hunt. Jettison the female's body into space, it holds no more usefulness."

"Of course Nyo'Tak, it will be done as you order and we will set best speed for the human's world."

_Insignificant humans_

Nyo'Tak scowled as his mandibles clicked sharply. The woman's death just seemed to reaffirm the warrior's belief that humans were a weak species, relying on crude technology to climb to the top of their predatory ladder.

"Sorry to interrupt again my liege, but what of her wristblade infusion? Surely she will be recognized if I provide her with our weapons." Nyo'Tak thought upon the possibilities.

"Leave her be. Her crooks will be uninhibited and become a weapon in their own right, while still remaining concealed. It shall be her birthright, to fight with yet our most primitive of weapons, unmarred by this accursed technology that encases us."

As if on cue two sharp, hardened bone protrusions revealed themselves through the infant's skin. Their features were not as polished as the Yautja's coated blades, but even at their early development were every bit as rigid. The two bones stayed exposed momentarily, and then sank back into the skin, immediately enveloped by membranes impervious to the blades' edgings. These would be the covering for the lethal weapons until an event forced their exposure. Nyo'Tak hoped that it would not be until the youngling had been assimilated into a family or caretakers.

Normal Yautja procedure would have these bones infused with their wristblade units, as it made them virtually unbreakable and would never need honing. The infant's however, would only become sharper with use after the exposure was brought on; a thought Nyo'Tak relished.

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Ako'Ten was awkwardly unfamiliar with his species' camouflage technology, not having gone through the Yautja's rite of passage. The specialized carrier the offspring was in mimicked the technology, making the youngling as well as Ako'Ten all but invisible to the staff at the _Nylund H. Reid _hospital at _Cherry Point MCAS. _

The youngling itself was out cold. It had taken an unusually high amount of tranquilizer to subdue the baby, but Nyo'Tak wanted to make sure the baby would not be a factor in success of this critical part of the mission.

Ako'Ten painstakingly crept down the long hallway as sick humans with IV's in their arms as well as their caretakers shuffled from room to room. The Yautja wondered why he was being so cautious. Even at his tender age he could easily make the small hospital devoid of life. That was not his mission, however, and Ako'Ten realized it was actually Nyo'Tak that he was being cautious of, to make sure he didn't have any bad news to take back to his attendant.

Ako'Ten rounded a corner and spotted his objective. A large viewing window allowed visitors to view the babies in the tiny rolling cribs that held them. Ako'Ten mused whether or not the youngling would actually fit in one of the small vessels. His thoughts were broken as he rounded another corner that exposed a small hallway. Just as he started trekking down the short distance, the door buzzed and opened. A short brown-haired nurse exited the room, and it clicked with Ako'Ten that the door's buzzing meant it had a locking mechanism.

Moving swiftly and silently past the nurse, the young Yautja took pause as the nurse stopped, the breeze Ako'Ten had produced whisked playfully at her hair. The nurse looked uneasy as she looked cautiously over her shoulder, right at the young Yautja.

"I need some sleep, now I am seeing ghosts." The nurse mumbled to herself as she snapped her head forward and turned the corner and out of Ako'Ten's sight. Regaining his composure, Ako'Ten caught the closing door and slid himself through, and entered the nursery.

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The young nurse stood and stared in disbelief at the baby. She couldn't be sure which disturbed her more, the fact that the baby previously was not there, or that the baby was so huge. Spinning on her heel the nurse reached for the phone hung on the wall behind her. "Hello, Jeanna, this is Cassandra, you _need_ to come see this."

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**That's it for chapter 1. A slow start but I think a necessary one. Should pick up in the next one. Please read and review!**


	2. First Hunt

Megan watched as the slender yet defined girl walk into the room. The girl's flowing blonde hair hung just above her shoulders, which was regulation for the school. The girl stopped beside the teacher as she scanned the room for an empty seat, the only one being next to Megan.

"Students, we have a new student today, Kelly Dessler. Her parents just moved to our school from North Carolina. Please make her feel welcome." The words almost seemed lost on the above-average sized girl standing beside the teacher, as it didn't seem to Megan as though she had any apprehension or nervousness. Kelly made her way over to the seat next to Megan's, and sat down.

"Hi Kelly, I'm Megan." Megan's voice was chipper as the second grader held out a delicate hand. Kelly glanced at the outstretched appendage, and managed to break a smile.

"Hey Megan, its nice to meet you too." Kelly gripped the smaller girl's hand fragilely, holding back her strength in an effort to conceal it. Nothing could be done about her height and muscular definition, but Kelly didn't want to give them any more reasons to call her freak as they did back in Carolina.

Perhaps she was a freak of sorts. Her parents had been upfront about her adoption, and while offering love and warmth; they could not offer her answers. No one could, as it seemed Kelly just appeared out of nowhere. It was a couple of years before she had gotten adopted, and the kids on her street seemed to not waste time labeling her due to her unusual features.

She had played the outcast, and the thought of this girl reaching out without judgment spoke volumes to Kelly.

At lunchtime the pair sat across from each other, and discussed their likes and dislikes, and who the cutest boys were. Kelly wondered why it seemed Megan didn't have other friends sitting with her. She seemed average enough, her curly brown hair and fair complexion was adorned with soft features, and Kelly mused the kids would have less to criticize Megan for than her.

"Hey Aylesworth, seen any ghosts lately?" A brunette with a food tray condescendingly said from behind Kelly.

"No Anna, remember, it was _aliens_ she saw." Another girl burst in with a correction.

"Whatever, as long as the weirdo keeps away from me." The two girls giggled as Megan's head drooped lower, tears formed in her eyes.

"What are they talking about?" Kelly already didn't like the girls due to their tone, but wanted to know what they were referring to.

"I don't want to tell you. You will just think I'm stupid like all the others." Tears began to flow down Megan's face as her voice became more broken.

"No I won't. Those girls are just stupid." Kelly didn't know why, but anger quickly built within her. She had to restrain herself. She couldn't afford to make a scene on the first day at the new school.

Megan thought to herself a moment before speaking. "Sometimes… I get hurt. I can't see them. They just hurt me. They make me fall down or push me into stuff. See?" The little girl motioned for Kelly to look under the table as she lifted her shirt slightly. On her abdomen there was a rather large bruise that ran from front to back. Megan winced as she touched the area.

Kelly was quite skeptical about the whole alien theory. Maybe the girl was just clumsy. Kelly also knew that on military bases people didn't ask a lot of questions. All Kelly knew was that she was going to help her new friend out.

"Hey Megan, would you like to come over to my house after school? I have swings and stuff my dad hung to play on."

"I will see if I can. I will have to go home first though, I've got chores to do."

Kelly stepped off the bus and walked toward her home. Images of Megan's bruise flew through her mind, and didn't sit right with the seven year old. Kelly had managed to get a bit more information as the day went on. Megan's father was a ranked and respected officer named Charles, which Megan spoke proudly of. Megan's mother worked at the base's records division.

Kelly plopped her backpack down on the floor beside the computer desk and turned on the system. Once the machine finished booting, Kelly browsed directly to the base's website, and began looking up housing information. The Aylesworth's lived in a house three blocks over, then two blocks up from Kelly's house.

Every house on the base looked the same, with the yard cut the same and the bushes neatly hedged. Uniformity was always the goal on a military base, and although Kelly had no fondness of it, she had gotten used to it.

Dinner had been especially bland, the result of another long day of work for Kelly's mother. Something about Megan continued to bother Kelly throughout her bath and as she slipped into bed. The young girl stared blankly at the ceiling filled with luminous plastic stars that gave off a dull green glow. The stars always managed to give Kelly comfort, and she quickly lost focus of her thoughts and drifted into dream.

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"Stop hitting her!" Megan cried out as Charles landed another open hand against her mother's face.

"Shut up you little brat or you're next!" Charles's rage was over nothing, at least nothing that Megan could understand. He always got this way when he drank, and he always seemed to be drinking.

"Megan, go to your room!" Her mother desperately pleaded in between sobs, cupping the right side of her face.

"One of these days you two bitches are going to learn to do what I say!" Charles started toward Megan as her mother reached out and clasped his arm, trying to keep him from approaching the child.

"Daddy no!" Megan pleaded as Charles turned around and backhanded her mother, knocking her unconscious to the wood floor.

Megan looked at her mother lying there and forsaking herself began to run to her. As she passed her father, he scooped her up into his arms and tossed the little girl like a rag doll. Megan's body slammed back-first into a wall, then falling face down on the floor. Megan noticed her father's footsteps walking away from her has she too began to slip from consciousness.

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Nyo'Tak switched off the monitor as he watched Kelly pass into sleep as he had done many nights before. She was his prize, and he intended to watch her grow. His prey was developing well. She seemed keenly aware of her…differences and guarded them from the knowledge of others. The bio-recorders implanted in Kelly had revealed something interesting though, an emotional reaction to the Megan girl perhaps. Kelly had became stressed since being introduced to the little girl. It was slowly awakening the Yautja aggression deep within her, and Nyo'Tak felt confident that she would display it soon enough, although he didn't know what the intended target would be.

Hopefully it would be against a worthy opponent so Nyo'Tak could get a sense of how her skills were progressing. A human child obviously would be no match for his creation, but if nothing else it might let him see how she will control her Yautja capabilities.

The Yautja quickly switched off his screen as another presence came in the room. "Nyo'Tak, the Council requires your presence. Follow me."

There was definitely foreboding within the sentry's voice. The Council did not bother with day-to-day Yautja affairs. Could this be about his project? Perhaps Ako'Ten had finally ran his mouth to the wrong people. It was wrong to allow him to be reassigned due to his knowledge, but Nyo'Tak failed to find a convincing argument that would allow him to stay under his internship.

While the Council Hall doors were not particularly colorful, they were ornately etched in grand Yautja fashion. There were hieroglyphs of past hunts, including those against the greatest prey, the Xenomorph specimens. The heavy Trilimium doors parted as the swung silently into the Great Hall that housed the Council.

"Sentry, you may be gone, your presence will not be required." The Yautja warrior hesitated momentarily, the bowed back out of the room as the doors began to shut behind Nyo'Tak. It was then that he noticed another Yautja standing beside the Council, Ako'Ten.

"We can dispatch with pleasantries and formalities, Nyo'Tak. We assume you know why we have called you." Berated Grand Chancellor InuSut

Nyo'Tak glared at Ako'Ten, who stood firm and motionless.

"You are but a fool, Nyo'Tak." Another voice came from the Council that was much softer than that of the Grand Chancellor. Chancellor RekJof continued. For many cycles we have denounced the practice of combining human and Yautja DNA. Do you know _why_ we forbade it? Or are you so blind to our history as to cause us to relive our grief?

The chancellor's words puzzled Nyo'Tak. He had researched before beginning his project and had turned up nothing other than the law banning such a practice. "I found no such history chancellor. What is this grief you speak of?"

"Surely your resources go beyond mere genetics? Perhaps not, for you will soon understand what you have done, the shame you have brought on yourself, and danger to us all."

Grand Chancellor InuSut motioned for silence with his hand before speaking. "There was a time when Yautja did not hunt humans. They were primitive, even more than they are today. They could not supply sufficient armaments or skills to warrant a hunt, although their design leant itself to be sought out as trophies. An idea was born, one that would give the humans enhancements from Yautja DNA. Male specimens were taken and returned to the humans' planet. We watched the specimens grow, then the unthinkable happened. The specimens began to mate and the infusion of the DNA produced an genome anomaly. This anomaly produced powerful offspring, offspring that we could not control. Born unto the humans were the Nephilums."

The word struck Nyo'Tak as he began to absorb what the Grand Chancellor was saying. "No, that can't be, the Nephilum were mythical, nothing but children's stories!"

"And still you remain ignorant! The Nephilum were indeed real. They became out of control, their aggression grew even against their own people. The Yautja race were shamed into fighting against them in a costly war that almost claimed us and humanity. Yet you, you have even used the more dangerous female Yautja DNA. Nyo'Tak, you are hereby summoned for the hunt."

"The hunt? But the girl is not ready! There can be no honor in such a thing!" Nyo'Tak remained defiant but cautious against throwing insults against the council, for which he would surely be killed.

"There will be _NO_ honor in this hunt, for it is a matter of grave consequences. The child must be dealt with before she can breed to produce the Nephilum. Even at this stage I am afraid you may not be able to destroy her. I am sending Ako'Ten with you since he knows of your project. Bring me the body of the child as proof. There must _NOT_ be failure in this hunt, although there will be no acknowledgement of its success. This incident and your project is to be stricken from all archives. That is all from this Council."

With that the entry doors reopened and the sentry reentered to escort Nyo'Tak to the preparation room.

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Megan held up another cheery front to Kelly as the two ate their square pizzas and drank down small containers of milk. Kelly thought the girl was being unusually quiet, although she had to admit she didn't really know Megan that well.

"They hurt me again." Megan's tone was sulking and hesitant, as if she didn't really want Kelly to know, but needed to tell someone.

"Where did they hurt you?" Kelly began looking Megan over from across the table.

"On my back. I don't remember what happened. I woke up and my back hurt."

"Did you tell your parents?"

"No, they wouldn't believe me. No one ever does." Megan refused to make eye contact.

"Well I believe you. Maybe you could come stay with me tonight?" Kelly found herself eager to try to help out the situation.

"No, I have stuff to do when I get home. Besides, what could you do?"

"You would be surprised."

Kelly finished her dinner, then excused herself to her room. Every fiber in the young girl's body screamed to find out what was happening to her friend. It was making her angry.

_Where were her parents when this was being done? Why didn't anyone seem to care? _

Kelly stuffed a flashlight into her backpack. She then stuffed her bed to give the appearance she was sleeping. Kelly hoped it would be enough to fool her parents in case they checked in on her. She quietly unlocked her window and stepped out onto the second floor awning. With one quick motion she leaped onto the ground and burst out into a full sprint, quickly leaving her house and yard behind. Her hunt for aliens was on.

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**That's it for chapter 2. Hope you enjoyed it! Please read and review!**


	3. The Angel Paradox

The brisk night air whipped across Kelly's face as she made her way through the moonlit darkness. The young girl avoided the street lamps as best she could, especially at the rate she was running. Kelly's stride easily surpassed that of normal humans, but Kelly achieved it effortlessly. She slowed as she came upon her destination, house one-eighteen.

There were few lights on at the house, with the exception of one upstairs and the glow of a television filling a room downstairs. The curtains were all drawn, but Kelly assumed that the houses shared more than outside similarities between them, and that Megan's room would be on the top level.

Kelly quickly scaled one of the porch's columns and grappled the edge of the roof. She quickly pulled herself up and quietly made her way over to the lit room's window. Kelly sat down beside of it, careful to not be illuminated by the light coming from inside. As she listened closely, Kelly heard muffled sobs along with a female voice she assumed to be Megan's mother.

"but _WHY _mommy? _WHY _does daddy get so mad? What did I do wrong?"

"You did nothing wrong honey, you know how daddy gets when he drinks. He doesn't know what he is doing."

"Then why doesn't he stop drinking? I just want daddy to…"

"What are you two talking about?" A wave of aggression flew over Kelly as she heard the man's vicious tone.

"Megan, you need to shut up and go to bed! Linda, you come with me! I'll not have you two having little secrets!"

"We were just talking about her school and…" Kelly recoiled slightly at the sound of Megan's mother being slapped. The slap was immediately followed by the slamming of Megan's door and Charles' shouting as Kelly's friend continued to sob.

"God, please make daddy stop." With the wishful prayer Megan pulled her covers over her head and began trying to shake off her fear and go to sleep.

Kelly looked briefly at the star filled sky as a narrow cloud slithered its way past a full moon. The girl curiously cocked her head as she noticed the house next to the Aylesworth's had a light on, with a middle-aged man secretly pulling back the drapes. She quickly surmised that the man had heard the commotion at her friend's house, but appeared not to be concerned as the drapes fell back into place and the light was turned off.

_Don't worry Megan, tonight you will get your wish…_

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Charles Aylesworth needed another drink. That was the only thing that would keep him out of his miserable environment. Fighting and winning on the battlefield was his only other happiness, and his family was just an inconvenience to be dealt with. He had dealt with them for the night, giving his wife another bruise for her to have to cover up. The people on the base made it so easy. No one questioned it. Why should they? Linda and Megan were always convincing liars, which only added to their worthlessness in his drunken mind.

Yes, another drink would lull him into sleep nicely. As Charles approached the kitchen, he could here the sound of liquid draining out of the sink. He turned the corner into the kitchen, and beheld the child standing at the sink. Her golden hair twirled as her head turned to look at him. A smile crept upon her face as their eyes made contact, and then she turned her attention back to her task. In her hand was a bottle of vodka, which was emptying out into the sink.

"What are you doing?" Charles ran over and grabbed the now empty bottle of vodka from Kelly's hand. "Just who the hell do you think you are?"

"A guardian angel." Kelly declared without visually acknowledging Charles.

"Megan's angel to be exact." Kelly turned the water on and rinsed spilled alcohol from her hands.

"Is that so little girl? So what do you want?" Charles' words were slightly slurred, and Kelly could smell the reek of alcohol.

"What I _want_, Charles, is for you to stop hitting your wife and daughter. Since you seem to not be able to control yourself when drinking, I am relieving you of the burden."

"Listen here you little shit, you are risking taking a beating of your own. Leave my house before I…"

"I don't think you will want to strike me Mr. Aylesworth. It could be very bad for you to do so."

Having had enough, Charles drew a backhand and began to lash out at the young girl. To his surprise, however, the young girl caught his forearm in her grasp, stopping his hand inches from her face. She then began to squeeze.

"Do you know what your problem is, Mr. Aylesworth? You prey on the weak. That is one area where we are different. _I_ protect the weak, and I am here to protect Megan. You are pathetic. Your wife and child love you yet you knock them around like dolls."

The pressure Kelly was applying to his forearm brought the soldier to his knees. His right hand was already numb and he was sure that his bones would crack at any moment. He let go of the vodka bottle that crashed to the floor as he tried to leverage his other hand free from Kelly's grasp. "I think it is time for you to get knocked around, _Charles_, to see if you are strong, or weak and can only stand up to those who cannot fight back. Do you still want to hit me, _Charles?_

In a desperate attempt to catch Kelly off guard, Charles kicked his leg out at the stool she was standing on. As if anticipating his move, Kelly let go of his arm and jumped backwards off the stool and landed in a three-point stance, looking as though she were a lineman getting ready to destroy the quarterback.

Charles scrambled to his feet, nursing his right forearm against his stomach as he reached for the now broken bottle on the floor. Grasping the neck of the now jagged piece of glass, Charles made threatening stabbing gestures at Kelly that she easily avoided.

"You're not making things easier on yourself, Charles. You can't beat me. None of the people I have fought, young or old, have ever beat me. They used to call me freak. No one will call me that any more."

"Charles, what's going on in there?" Megan's mom called from the bedroom, the sound of dread filled her voice, revealing she really didn't want to know.

Charles had turned his attention to the woman's voice, allowing Kelly to get close to him unnoticed. As he turned his attention away from Megan's mom, he was suddenly face to face with Kelly, who had climbed on top of the kitchen table. Charles stumbled in his thoughts as he wondered how the little girl could move so fast, so quietly.

He was snapped out of his thoughts as the little girl put a finger to her mouth, urging him to be quiet. "When you wake up, remember, you are never to hit them again, or I _will_ come for you."

The words barely had time to register in Charles' mind as Kelly's fist connected with the side of his face and knocked him unconscious. He hit his face once more on the table's edge on the way down, splitting the skin and spilling blood onto the glass-littered floor.

"This is perfect." Kelly mused. The scene would never indicate she had been there. She would truly be an unseen Angel to Megan, granting her wishes and destroying the monsters in her life. Footsteps coming toward the kitchen alerted Kelly and she slipped out the side door and once again made her way into the night. As she stopped in front of the Aylesworth's home, she eyed the house next to it, one-seventeen. "You're next." Kelly made a gun gesture with her hand and pointed it in the house's direction, then quickly ran home.

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Nyo'Tak looked at the monitor begrudgingly. It had been a while since his experiment had left her room, and the tracker he had assigned to her had been destroyed as Kelly darted from the house, but the girl never felt the impact. He had scanned all points in the house, momentarily watched as Kelly's adopted parents mated in their bed and then quickly focused the screen back on Kelly's room. The camera's all had advanced Yautja cloaking and sensors that would allow them to relocate should the need arise.

A sudden shadow was cast on a wall and Nyo'Tak directed the camera to pan past Kelly's bed and across her chest stuffed with human toys. The camera came to rest on the room's only window as it slowly slid open. Kelly's leg entered first as she maneuvered the rest of her body through the small window. The girl quickly changed into her night clothes, removed her decoy from the bed and slid into it.

Sleep seemed to be the last thing on Kelly's mind as the camera zoomed in. Nyo'Tak clicked his mandibles curiously at the girl's facial expression. She seemed happy. An infectious smile adorned her face and she mimed movements of what Nyo'Tak hopefully considered to be a fight of some kind. Had she gone on a hunt? The thought brought joy to the Yautja's being, that the youngling would be honing her skills.

It also saddened Nyo'Tak, that he would have to destroy his creation before she realized her full potential. It seemed almost laughable that the Council did not think a warrior such as himself could not defeat such a harmless looking creature.

The monitor displayed Kelly closing her eyes, and Nyo'tak glared back out into the vastness of space. He sat down heavily into the small craft's seat as the autopilot made minor course corrections. Flying in subspace was but a passing thought for the Yautja, who had been doing it for many cycles, but it was nice to allow the computer to handle the navigation affairs. Preparation would be needed in the days to come. If the Council was right, he would need all the time he had to get ready.

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**Hope everyone reading is enjoying the story so far. Be sure to leave me reviews and let me know what you think!**


	4. Contact

Megan came into the room with a melancholy appearance and sat down in her usual chair. Kelly surmised that Megan had been crying.

"What's wrong Megs?" Kelly used a more chipper than normal inflection in her voice.

"My dad got hurt last night. Mom and I had to take him to the hospital to get stitches. I thought they just wanted me. Now they are to be hurting my family too."

The little girl's sentiments distressed Kelly. Was Megan so impacted by the abuse that her mind refused to acknowledge it? She decided to press Megan for more information.

"What happened to him, is he OK?" The thought of actually having to care for such a despicable person nauseated Kelly, but she had to keep up her rouse.

"Yeah he is doing OK. Got a cut on his face. He is at home resting today though."

"Kelly, Megan, do you two have something you would like to share with the class?" Mrs. Oldsen's voice bore the burden of too much smoking, although the teacher was nice enough.

"No Mrs. Oldsen." The two chanted as if using some form of mantra.

"Then whatever you are discussing will have to wait until recess. Now let's turn to page two sixty-four in the…" Mrs. Oldsen's voice faded in Kelly's mind as she recalled the previous night's events.

How invigorating it had been standing up for her friend, to teach a coward like Mr. Aylesworth a lesson. Then Kelly thought of house one-seventeen. The unconscionable man who just stood there looking, who knew full well what was transpiring in the house next to his.

Kelly felt anger rising on the inside of her, but now was not the time. Still, she liked the sensation. The sensation was power. Kelly knew it was there and that if she chose to fight that nothing around her could do anything about it.

A lustful smile began to stretch its way across Kelly's face when suddenly her vision began to alter. The room's painted scheme of white and burgundy were quickly being replaced with a sort of deep hazy blue and quickly getting darker.

The people surrounding her in the room, however, began to turn into a rainbow of luminescent colors. Kelly could also see heat trails emanating from under Mrs. Oldsen's desk. The woman was always habitually cold.

The wonder of this new vision faded as Kelly's anger subsided.

_What just happened here? Did I almost pass out? No, why would I do that?_

Kelly marveled in her thoughts as she pondered what had just happened. She was startled out of them, however, as the bell outside her class rang and the students filed out for recess.

---------------

Nyo'Tak refused to give notice to Ako'Ten's presence, which annoyed the younger Yautja greatly.

"You are going to need my help if you are going to successfully hunt this girl." Nyo'Tak recoiled slightly at Ako'Ten's words

"You would humiliate me more by accompanying me to kill such an undeveloped prey? I did not wish your company on this trip, much less the hunt itself. You will stay with the ship until I call for you."

The forward screen filled with orange as the craft entered atmosphere. Nyo'Tak spun in his chair and promptly came to his feet, brushing past Ako'Ten and headed for the prep room.

In front if him lay many various weapons and devices of Yautja design. Ako'Ten finished attaching the plasmacaster to Nyo'Tak's shoulder and the device powered to life. The Yautja warrior slid on his helmet and powered it on as well.

With a quick flip from his mandible, a trio of red beams projected out and painted three dots on the polished wall facing Nyo'Tak.

_This is how she will die. _

_She is my responsibility _

_I do not wish for my creation to suffer. _

_Her death will be swift and with all hopes she will never become aware of the fate befalling her._

Nyo'Tak also grabbed a netgun and disk. He felt the sudden vibration of the craft's landing gears being lowered as he attached the weapons to his waist. All Nyo'Tak felt was the weight of what he was about to do. To destroy the life he had created. _Such a waste_.

"We have sat down three and a half units from the area. Our approach was masked and I do not believe we were detected. The light shall fade before you reach her location, which should aid you in getting this done quickly. Contact me when you are done and we will prepare an extraction."

Ako'Ten tapped on a control pad and the craft's large rear door began to lower. A vast expanse of forest was laid out before the warrior. Nyo'Tak noted several gently rolling hills in his immediate sight. The terrain posed no problem for the warrior, but it would take time.

With a heavy sigh Nyo'Tak exited the ship and began running, although not eager to get down to the task at hand.

---------------

Kelly and Megan sat next to each other on the swing set. Megan's swing shifted slightly as she manipulated the sand below with the toe of her shoe. Kelly didn't like Megan's mood. It just wasn't the same happy girl. "Megan, you know your dad is going to be OK, so how about cheering up?"

"I can't. He is fine _this time_, but what about when they come back? I was fine with the fact that they hurt _me_, but I don't want them hurting my family."

Kelly didn't know what to say. She had done the right thing. The_ only_ thing there was to do. Kelly originally assumed Megan was just covering for her dad's sins, but that assumption had been wrong.

The swing teetered as Kelly pushed off with one foot, still sending herself higher than most could do pushing with two legs. The centrifugal forces pleased Kelly, allowing her a moment's reprieve from life's seriousness.

Getting more into the motion, Kelly threw her head back to look upside down, her hair brushing the ground as she passed the ground.

Megan, however, continued to wallow in her troubles, and didn't notice Kelly stopping suddenly.

"This should get you moving." Megan felt a tug on the swing as she slowly moved backwards and up. Kelly brought the swing up to as high an arc as she could reach, and withheld her true power as she gently pushed the swing forward.

Megan let out a giggle at the sensation and Kelly broke into a smile, satisfied that she had once again came to Megan's rescue, albeit a minor one.

---------------

The darkness added a stealthy boost to Nyo'Tak's cloaking system, making him invisible to even the trained soldiers he passed by. The base already seemed to be a perfect place for a hunt; a place that would require stealth and discretion in order to be successful.

Had it been under different circumstances Nyo'Tak would have been elated, but this hunt would be overshadowed and eventually forgotten.

Nyo'Tak finally broke the stride he had sustained during the trek in, and approached Kelly's house cautiously. Multiple lights inside the house contrasted with shadows outside, although neither gave indication to the warrior's presence.

Upon approaching the side of the house where the dining area was located, Nyo'Tak heard talk and laughter emanate. As he peered into the window, the Yautja spotted his prey.

Kelly was even more impressive in person. She appeared slightly greater in height than he had calculated for her age, and her physique and discredited each other.

Still, she was but a child. Nyo'Tak clicked his mandibles in frustration of his task and began to finalize his plan.

Nyo'Tak had plenty of footage from Kelly's various talks with Megan. He had synthesized the young girl's voice and fed it to the multiple cameras about Kelly's house. They would lure his experiment outside where he would rest in a tree near the center of the front lawn.

As soon as the girl was within plasmacaster range, he would execute her quickly and be gone with her body.

Finished running through his thoughts, Nyo'Tak scaled the tree and perched himself on one of the stronger limbs.

Various lights turned on and off in the house as the family got ready for bed. Nyo'Tak paid little attention to anything but the window he knew lead into Kelly's room.

At one point Kelly's adoptive father brought bags outside and put them in large containers, allowing their lids to slam down as he walked away.

Slowly the lights turned off and after a while of no activity finally it was time. Nyo'Tak opened up his datapad and punched random keys. The screen flickered to life and an image of Kelly displayed on the screen.

"Kelly, where are you?" The voice startled Kelly as her eyes snapped open.

"Megan, is that you?" Kelly began looking around her moonlit room for her friend.

"Kelly, I need your help." The sound came from outside her room, down the hallway. Kelly slipped on her slippers and peeked out into the hallway.

"Hurry, I'm down here." Kelly reached the staircase leading down to the foyer and started to descend. She couldn't localize where the voice was coming from. It sounded as though it came from everywhere and nowhere.

"Come on, outside. I need you!" Kelly opened the front door and a cool wind caressed her face.

"Megan?" Kelly called in a loud whisper.

"Over here, by the tree." Kelly couldn't see her friend, and was very uneasy at the situation. She began to slowly make her way across the yard as she continued to look around for her friend, a couple of times spinning around to make sure the young girl wasn't going to prank her from behind.

As Kelly came out of yet another spin her eyes captured the sight of three red lines cutting through the night. As she looked down, Kelly noticed a triangular pattern directly over her heart.

"Seeya Kelly."

* * *

Hope you liked this chapter. Got a little stuck for a bit, but the next one should come pretty easily, since we all like reading (and writing) fight scenes.. ;0) Anywho, Reviews welcomed/appreciated!!! 


	5. Can you see me now

Nyo'Tak felt no joy in having his creation being targeted for destruction. The girl's small form, in the Yautja warrior's mind, could not pose a threat to other humans at this point, much less one of his species. With much reservation Nyo'Tak released the plasmacaster to fire, and hurtled its projectile toward the startled girl below.

To his surprise, the young girl easily sidestepped the plasma, causing it to harmlessly impact the ground behind her.

The girl glanced at the damage done to the ground behind her and the seriousness of the situation apparently began to sink in. "Who are you? Where is Megan?" The little girl shouted. Nyo'Tak did not understand her language, but saved the phrases into his recorder.

Nyo'Tak sent another blast of plasma toward Kelly, who moved effortlessly to avoid it. This time the girl knew where it had came from.

Nyo'Tak was getting frustrated. Both of his shots had missed. _Could the specimen be that aware of her abilities at so young an age? _Nyo'Tak didn't have time to analyze his thoughts as Kelly leaped into the air, heading straight for him.

The height she had achieved astounded the Yautja, but did not cause him concern. With a swing of his arm, Kelly was batted out of the air, landing hard on the ground below. Nyo'Tak leaped from his perch, and made slight impressions in the soft soil as he landed.

_This has taken long enough. I cannot risk waking all of the humans in this area. _With a quick hand motion, Nyo'Tak extended his wrist blades as he walked toward Kelly, who lay motionless on the ground.

_It would have to be this way _

_She was created by his hand _

_Now she would die by them. _

The Yautja looked over Kelly's form, pondering on where to deal the lethal blow. Humans had so many places to choose from. As this would be no trophy for him to possess, Nyo'Tak decided the severing of the head to be the quickest death he could deal.

A quick ending for his creation that would provide the Yautja with a sense of redemption; knowing the young innocent would not suffer because of his mistake.

---------------

Kelly's head hurt really badly. She wasn't sure what hit her, or why she wasn't crying, but she did know one thing. She was mad and concerned for Megan.

_Megan couldn't survive a hit like that. _Kelly wondered for a moment how she did and then everything began to turn blue again.

Kelly heard heavy steps approach her, and turned her head in the footstep's direction.

What Kelly saw confused and made her aware at the same time. A rainbow of colors in the shape of something… human… was getting closer. _No, that can't be human_.

The thing that approached was taller than any person she knew, and had the physique of a bodybuilder. There were certain peripherals that were prominent on the form, but the one that worried Kelly most was the one on what she assumed to be its arm. It looked like a…no two… blades.

The thing seemed to stop as Kelly began to groggily pull herself to her feet. She continued to study her attacker, but her new form of vision left a lot to be desired, at least in Kelly's mind. The small girl's focus then became clearer as the anger inside continued to swell. Kelly's pain was gone, suppressed in some remote location of her mind.

Something was taking over, and Kelly did nothing to stop it.

---------------

_The experiment can see me?_ The thought echoed in Nyo'Tak's mind as the small girl hurdled toward him. It was then that Nyo'Tak saw something different in Kelly. Gone where the girl's normal blue eyes. Instead were eyes that cast a luminance the hunter could plainly detect. The crimson-eyed girl smashed into Nyo'Tak's abdomen and caused him to lose balance. Breath escaped him as Nyo'Tak fell to the ground, his mind still reeling at the fact that his technology no longer concealed him.

Kelly was instantly upon Nyo'Tak and grappled his throat, her strength surpassed anything the Yautja expected.

Nyo'Tak stabbed his blades toward Kelly's neck, but his forearm was caught in the girl's left hand, being crushed under a pressure that seemed even greater than that which denied him breath.

In desperation the Yautja reached up with his left arm and grabbed Kelly by the neck. Kelly let out a guttural growl as Nyo'Tak tore her free and tossed the girl several feet away.

There would be no reprieve, however, as Kelly rolled back to her feet and prepared to attack yet again.

Reaching quickly for his netgun, Nyo'Tak fired a round and was pleased to see Kelly become ensnared between the netting and the side of her house. The warrior pained himself to sit up, still attempting to recoup the air the little girl had stolen.

---------------

"What the hell was that?" Brian Dessler shot straight up in his bed. His wife, Melissa, was also awakened by the loud thud that had reverberated throughout the house.

Quickly grabbing a pistol from his lockbox, Brian cocked it to force a round into the chamber and peeked out of the bedroom doorway, nervously scrutinizing the hallway before him.

"Stay here." Brian stuck his head in Kelly's room, and was horrified to see that his daughter was not in her bed.

"Kelly!" Brian's voice was filled with urgency as he began moving quickly through the house, and scanned each room with gun pointed.

Melissa immediately reached for a phone and began frantically punching numbers, her sense of panic causing her to fumble with the buttons.

There was no sign of Kelly anywhere as Brian exited the dining room back into the foyer. Another loud noise occurred to Brian's right, and he immediately reached for the doorknob and swung it open.

Cool night air rushed to meet him as Brian stepped out onto the porch. A full moon painted the landscape with a blue hue and stars filled a cloudless sky.

The sounds of struggling could be heard from Brian's right, and he instinctively swung his gun toward the source. He was not prepared for what he saw.

---------------

The net was tightly adhered to Kelly's body. Its spikes had dug into the house siding and had her pinned. Her attacker was moving closer, poising to strike into the little girl.

An uncontrollable urge formed in the pit of Kelly's stomach, one that dissolved any feeling of fear, replacing it with a lust. A lust for fighting, for chaos, for death…

Sensations rushed through Kelly's body as Goosebumps formed on her extremities. A smile slithered upon the young girl's face as the tension from the netting ceased.

Unnatural strength filled every muscle that the small girl possessed as she pressed her hands out from her chest, testing the net's resilience.

Creaks and groans announced the house's protest as it strained to hold the net's spikes within its walls. One by one the spikes released, leaving holes where they had attempted to anchor themselves.

Portions of the net whipped about Kelly as more spikes released. Kelly gripped the last stronghold with her hand and promptly yanked it from the wall.

Nyo'Tak stood in shock at the feat he had just witnessed.

Kelly balled up the net between her hands and tossed it at the Yautja. The net impacted harmlessly on the warrior and tumbled down his chest.

"Time to die _rainbow_." Were Kelly in her natural state the phrase would have amused her, possibly throwing her into a giggling fit. Those thoughts and emotions were overcome, however, by the girl's need to fight.

"Who are you? Where is Megan?" Kelly's voice came back to her, giving her pause, as Nyo'Tak slipped the disc off his belt. Truly the Council had been right about the girl's abilities, and it was necessary she be stopped now. Circular blades extended as the disc conformed to Nyo'Tak's grip. It was ready to throw.

Suddenly Nyo'Tak heard a loud sound ring out as a searing pain exploded in his side, causing him to release a primal roar. The Yautja warrior turned toward the house's front door to see an older human standing there.

---------------

"What… in the hell… was that?" Brian had no idea what he had just shot. He had just witnessed his young daughter tearing siding off their house and throwing what looked like a bunch of cords at… something.

That had given him his target. Although the cords Kelly threw seemed to stop in midair, Brian didn't question the fact that she had thrown them at _something_.

Brian had quickly aimed and fired a shot at that location, rather blindly, but he felt that roar meant he had connected with something.

Brian got his second confirmation as a bright green liquid that seemed to ooze out of nowhere. Brian began running toward the scene as red and blue lights began to flash across the zone and illuminated the side of the house, followed by more lights with siren accompaniment.

The MP's arrived and began to fan out, although it didn't appear to Brian as though Kelly was paying them any attention, still staring at the nothingness in front of her.

---------------

Nyo'Tak snorted as the humans began canvassing the area. All were well armed, although he wasn't sure at this point whether he should fear them more than the girl.

"Seeya Kelly." Megan's voice alarmed Kelly again as Nyo'Tak broke into a sprint. He would need time for his wound to heal, even though it wasn't significant.

He would _have_ to be at one hundred percent for their next meeting, where he would not underestimate the girl again.

Limbs and pine needles brushed over his body as Nyo'Tak ran deeper into the forest. His stride was graceful as he avoided obstacles and further distanced himself from the humans.

_Next time young one. Will be your last._

---------------

_This is not over._ Kelly thought as her father rushed to her side. Kelly closed her eyes and looked away from him as calmness began to return. The lust within her was not going away easily, but Kelly was relieved when she opened her eyes and could see one of the MP's scouting the area normally.

Kelly's father looked her over to make sure she was ok. A large bruise was forming on her cheek, and there were slight lacerations on her hands.

Feeling confident she was alright, Brian wrapped his arms around his daughter and embraced her as Melissa ran up to them.

"Sir, we should check her out down at the infirmary." Brian gave the MP a nod and scooped Kelly up in his arms.

As he carried Kelly, brian noticed three of the MP's looking over the tangled cords Kelly had thrown earlier. All three of them looked ominously in his direction as he gently placed Kelly into her seat.

As he shut the door, Kelly peered out into the darkness and into the forest beyond, looking for signs of the attacker.

"Get you later rainbow." Kelly giggled.

* * *

**_Hope you liked this chapter. There are more surprises to come! Please read and review_**


	6. Release

"I'm telling you I don't know!" The dam of tears that had been holding in Kelly's eyes finally burst and allowed the liquid to flow over the young girl's soft cheeks.

For four hours she had been sitting there, while Colonel Bennight had questioned, no _interrogated, _her.

"What were you doing outside?"

"What hurled you into the wall?"

"What is this strange netting we found and where did it come from?"

The interrogation had started off friendly enough, with the Colonel talking to her as though they were friends in another time. He was becoming increasingly upset and Kelly's non-responses, however.

Kelly wanted her parents, though they had been escorted out of the room over an hour ago to be interrogated separately at the Colonel's request.

The thing that upset Kelly about the situation, however, was her memory, or lack of, about what had happened.

She remembered hearing Amy's voice, and following it to the yard, and then the shot -or whatever it was- that had blasted a chunk of earth behind her.

After that, her memory faded, and didn't return until her father had wrapped his arms around her.

Something had been there though, something had tried to _kill_ her, and now she couldn't remember what it was, no way of telling the soldiers so they could rid her of the fear that that _thing_ was out there.

Colonel Bennight appeared as though he was going to have another outburst, but composed himself, and got trapped in thought as he covered his mouth with his hand.

Apparently concluding his thought, the Colonel bent down to Kelly's level, and gave her a halfhearted smile.

"Look Kelly, we are not the bad guys here. We just want to find out what happened to you. You were very lucky you weren't killed. I want to know why someone would want to kill a pretty little girl. Can you remember anything, anything at all?"

"I'm sorry Colonel Bennight. I don't know what happened. Something, a blue light, came at me and I blacked out. The next thing I know I am being loaded into the ambulance." Kelly sobbed for a moment and wiped across her face with her pajama sleeve.

The Colonel nodded his head as to look at the floor. He _knew_ there was a lot to this story. The netting they had retrieved was composed of unknown fibers and was incredibly strong.

From what he could surmise, Kelly or something had been pinned against the house by the net, but had ripped free. He couldn't see himself performing such a feat, much less a scared eight-year old.

No, something else had been in that front yard, although the Colonel had no idea who or what it might have been.

A sudden knock at the door grabbed both Kelly and the Colonel's attention as a slender soldier slipped in through the partially opened door. "Sir, forgive me, but I think you should see this."

With a heavy sigh, Colonel Bennight stood to his feet and walked over to the soldier. "Private Wallace, take Kelly to her parent's room and prep them to be released. I think we have as much information that they can provide."

The soldier gave a heartfelt smile at the little girl and with a slight jerk of his head motioned her out of the room.

The hallway beyond was unusually bare, with only a lone fire extinguisher giving the walls any decoration as the fluorescent lighting above cast its glow over the hall's surfaces.

The soldier stopped after just passing a metallic door with a latticed window and performed an abrupt left face as he extended his scrawny but muscular hand and opened the door. "In you go."

Kelly ran in to the brightly lit room as the MP who had escorted her took a post by the door. The girl's hair swayed wildly as she ran to her parents and threw her arms around her father's waist as the short-haired man slumped to run his hands through her soft hair.

"Are you ok honey?" Kelly's mom asked softly as she kneeled and softly caressed the young girl's back.

"I'm fine mommy, let's go home."

---------------

Footage of carnage rolled shown on the screen as Colonel Bennight looked over the details. The warehouse was full of slaughtered meat which hung frozen on individual hooks. Lights from the special unit's suits scanned through the building, looking for something that didn't seem to be there.

"It's right on top of you!" The agent screamed as hell seemed to break loose in the room. The sounds of screams filled the speakers as the Colonel one by one saw the men getting cut down.

"That's enough." The film stopped and the lights rose to a brilliance of whitewash as the pepper-haired Bennight leaned back in his chair.

"And you are sure this is the same type of creature that took out Keyes' men?" The Colonel propped the right side of his head in his hand and let his eyes wander over to Dr. Chelsea Monroe.

The doctor's shoulder-length black hair was pulled tightly into a bun save for the bangs that framed her well-proportioned face and lines from her laptop's document reflected off her glasses briefly before she removed them and placed them on the dark cherry table which took up much of the room.

"Yes, Colonel. After testing the composition of the materials used in the netting, we found it to be similar to materials retrieved after some… _incidents _in LA nineteen ninety-seven. This was also following an attack on an elite special forces mission in South America in which only two of them survived. It was determined that the attacks were from the same type of creature, which has been deemed to be of alien origins."

Colonel Bennight emitted soft scratching sounds as he stroked the stubble that had began forming on his cheeks. "And what happened to these two creatures?"

"Both were confirmed dead shortly after engagements. The creature in South America detonated some form of explosive device that destroyed several hundred square yards while the one in LA was confirmed killed by Michael Harrigan using one of its own weapons, some form of metal disk. We, however, have never seen this weapon other than the footage we have of the slaughterhouse."

"So why in the _hell_ is this thing attacking a little girl?" Bennight started to think the lack of logic behind the attack would ultimately lead to him having an aneurism.

"That we don'tknow. However, it does seem inconsistent with the data we have on the creatures. It would seem that they in the past have not attempted to attack anyone who isn't armed with some form of weapon. It has been theorized that the process the alien is going through may in fact be some form of hunt."

"Well obviously an eight year old wouldn't present much of a hunt, although I am not sure how she survived. The amount of damage we found at the scene would indicate that there was definitely a fight of some sort, and I just can't see that little girl lasting through it."

"We did, however, get corroborating testimony that the child was indeed in the yard as the father ran outside and fired a shot." Sergeant Andrew Bilson spoke up and offered his first thoughts and seemed quite proud of himself for doing so.

"Colonel, if this is indeed the same creature, we may have a way to detect its presence. Keyes' group had found that the alien releases certain pheromones that can be detected through special sensors, making it easy to track. I suggest that we might place these same sensors about the Dessler residence, as the alien most likely will try to attack again at some point."

"Why do you believe this to be the case?" The Colonel leaned forward in his chair, anxious to hear what the doctor had to say.

"I do not have any solid theories, but rather some level of intuition that says it wants something from this girl. It managed to lure her out to the front yard where it apparently attacked her. Hardly something that seems random. I don't think it is done with her yet."

The doctor's anecdotal evidence coupled with her empathetic but curious tone caused a slight worry to form within the Colonel. Being a parent himself made him all the more sympathetic to the Dessler's plight.

"Fine. Bilson, get those sensors in here. Until then I want regular patrols of that area of no less than two MP's per shift. I also want recon in the air to see if we can't figure out where it may have came from. And Sergeant, do it quietly."

"Yes sir."

---------------

Nyo'Tak steadied himself as Ako'Ten readied the forceps inline with the bullet's entrance. Gripping the railing with both hands, the Yautja's roar filled the ship's cabin as the bullet was pulled from his side, made luminescent by his own blood.

"It would seem the female got the best of you, Nyo'Tak." The Yautja's head swung quickly in Ako'Ten's direction as he peered into his former assistance's eyes.

"The specimen will be dealt with. However, you will accompany me on the next hunt. I will not have any further hindrances from other humans. You will guard us to ensure that I slay her in battle to retain any small dignity I can muster from such a mission."

"As you wish. Just try to get it done this time or I will have to destroy her myself and report your failings to the council."

Nyo'Tak walked up close to Ako'Ten and breathed in the younger warrior's face. "I will not fail, and you will do well to hold your tongue. Tonight I will rest and the next night we will return to finish this indiscretion once and for all."


	7. Night Falling

Kelly sat with her knees to her chest. The cool night air whipped around her and rustled her hair. Kelly looked out over the expanse of the base from the rooftop beside her window. Her parents had never liked her sitting on it, but tonight she couldn't stand being inside, confined. She rested her chin upon her knees and closed her eyes.

The soft blowing of the wind could be heard, as well as the banter between the MP's assigned to protect her. She felt it comical that her protectors didn't seem to mind her being so precariously perched. The wind suddenly shifted across the young girl's body, and instantly a scent filled her nostrils.

"Rainbow." A guttural snarl emanated from Kelly as she scampered on all fours back into the house. It was time to prepare.

---------------

Nyo'Tak was prepared. He had a full complement of Yautja armament as he trudged through the woods, his vision filled with a green hue. Ako'Ten followed closely behind, but came with a lighter load. Ako'Ten gripped the staff tightly as he wondered if they really would be able to bring down the hybrid. It seemed like such a menial task on the surface, but Ako'Ten felt sure that they had not seen the true extent of their creation's abilities.

"Wait here." Nyo'Tak held up his hand as he cut the communication with his partner. The cluster of trees was about to give way to the human military installment. Any other time and this would have been prime grounds for a hunt. Tonight was different, however, and suddenly the powerful Yautja warrior found himself regretting the decision to ever create such a prey.

Ako'Ten stared out into the Dessler's back yard as Nyo'Tak engaged his cloaking and disappeared. Ignoring his order, Ako'Ten also cloaked and followed a distance to the side of the house.

"Did you hear that?" The recording system in Nyo'Tak's helmet recorded the two MP's, who were getting more nervous by the minute. "Let's check it out."

The two multi-colored forms began walking toward Nyo'Tak as he readied himself. He had to kill them quickly without them firing their weapons. He would have to rely on stealth to surprise the hybrid.

The strike was quick and powerful as he swiped through the neck of one human, tearing part of it out and cleanly decapitating the other one. Both fell to the ground with minimal sound.

"Let's hope you deal with the experiment as easily." Nyo'Tak glared over his shoulder at his former assistant. "I thought I told you to stay back!"

A fake coughing sound got their attention, and both warriors turned to see the small form of a girl standing about fifteen feet away. The girl's eyes were glowing a bright yellow-red hue that seemed to pierce the darkness around them. Her skin was thinner from stretching across the mass of muscle and altered skeletal structure.

"What do you want from me?" The two were shocked to hear their native tongue come from the girl. How could she know the language?

"You can see us?" Both warriors looked to each other in shock.

"Yes stupid, I can see you." Kelly's voice had returned to that of a little girl's, but somehow it still sounded menacing. "You two need to go away and leave me alone!"

An idea suddenly hatched inside Nyo'Tak to distract the girl. "You would have us leave? Your… Creators?"

The girl's defensive posture gave way to one of curiosity. "What do you mean?"

"He means that we created you." Ako'Ten's voice was cold. "We fertilized your mother with Yautja DNA. You are nothing more than a prize to be hunted."

"My… Mother?" Kelly spoke to herself softly as her eyes began to water. Suddenly anger flashed back across the young girl's face. "Where is my mother? I must see her.. _now!"_

"That is not possible, for she was disposed of when you were born. She almost didn't outlive her usefulness to us and died while giving you life."

The tears had returned, but they weren't tears of sadness. Everything within Kelly began building as her mind raced to process what she was just told.

"Then have your hunt." Kelly broke into a sprint right past the two warriors. Nyo'Tak targeted her as she ran for the woods. A single bolt of plasma leapt from his shoulder and quickly gained on the girl. Kelly quickly darted to the right and entered the tree line as a nearby tree splintered from the bolt's impact.

Wind and pine needles whisked across her body as she leapt a downed log. Heavy crunching came from behind her as the two warriors entered the forest. Kelly leapt from the ground and grabbed a nearby branch. Quickly she scaled the outstretched limbs and climbed higher. The young girl stopped suddenly and began trying to control her breathing, although it wasn't as rapid or deep as it should have been.

Seeing in this environment was difficult, and as Kelly rested she closed her eyes. Her other senses heightened and suddenly she could hear them. They were close. One appeared to be going to her left and the other her right. This made her smile. Fighting them together would be certain death, but apart she might have a chance.

Kelly focused on the one to her right, as the creature seemed to be moving away from her. However something familiar came to her sense of smell. "Rainbow." She would deal with the other one later. Rainbow would have to be dealt with first.

Turning on her branch, she slowly and carefully oriented herself to his direction. At the same time, she readied her hand around another branch, ready to snap it. With a deep inhale, Kelly snapped the smaller branch and jumped toward the hulking warrior. The sound of the snapping branch got his attention, just as she hoped it would.

With a quick turn he began targeting her, but she was on him too fast to get a lock. The small girl impacted his chest as she jammed the end of the branch through his chest. She then quickly kicked off before he could react.

Nyo'Tak let out a pain-filled roar as luminous blood began running down his chest. He began to jerk the small branch out, only to find out that a small nub was keeping it in place. New pain swelled through his body. Suddenly a new sensation filled him as another blunt stick was forced through his thigh, exiting out the back. The warrior swung his wrist blades downward as Kelly rolled out of the way, slicing off short strands of flowing hair.

A sudden awareness made Kelly turn to see Ako'Ten not ten yards away. He would surely have had her in his sights, but did not fire.

"Leave her Ako'Ten. She will be my trophy!"

"I don't think so Rainbow." Kelly swung with a large stick and hammered the end of the stick in Nyo'Tak's thigh. The small piece of wood was driven flush with the creature's skin. Although he didn't have a lock, Nyo'Tak's plasmacaster let loose a volley, hitting the dirt beside the girl. Earth flew in all directions, and covered Kelly's face.

Before she could recover, a strong hand impacted her face, sending the young girl flying through the air. She hit hard against a tree and fell to the ground. Suddenly a hand gripped her neck and lifted her off the ground.

"I will savor every moment of your death." Kelly screamed as Nyo'Tak's wrist blade cut a small incision on her cheek. Her scream was quickly muted as the warrior squeezed her neck and cut off her oxygen. Everything began to grow dimmer; her limbs began getting heavier as she continued to gasp for air.

"I do not understand the council's fear of this nuisance. No matter, I will restore my honor here and now."

"Just hurry up and finish it. I grow tired of being on this wretched planet." Nyo'Tak had averted his eyes toward his fellow warrior when suddenly a growing scream caused him to snap back to the young girl in his hand. Her wail became tremendous as her right arm began twitching uncontrollably. Tears streamed down the girl's face as she cried out, but Nyo'Tak realized it was not himself who was hurting her.

The girl slowly brought her arms to her chest. Her cries became more guttural as her eyes once again began to glow. With a sudden jerk, Kelly cast her arms to her side and there was the sickening sound of flesh being ripped. Her right arm burst open in two places as the hardened bone appendages erupted from underneath. The young girl's blood covered them fully and streamed off their tips.

Suddenly the screaming was silenced. Kelly peered fearlessly into the Yautja's mask as a smile more evil than thought possible embellished her face. Without effort or sound Kelly forced her blades underneath Nyo'Tak's mask and into his cheeks His grip loosened and Kelly instantly planted her feet into a repelling stance. The blades tore through the Yautja's face as they didn't have the benefit of his sharpened metal coatings.

Luminous blood spilled from beneath Nyo'Tak's mask as the creature roared in pain. The warrior fell backwards upon the ground and almost instantly Kelly was on top of him, jabbing him about the chest. Luminous green mixed with red was slung into the air, littering the ground and trees nearby.

The wounded creature swatted at the girl on his chest, but his weakened arm was merely brushed aside. Kelly's facial features flexed as her face became a mash up of two distinct species, stealing the stronger features between the two.

Kelly suddenly realized that the creature was no longer moving. Looking at the mess she had made out of Nyo'Tak's chest, humanity began to rush into her being. Her soft facial features returned. The appendages on her arm retracted inside, which didn't hurt as badly as their exit. Nothing seemed to hurt as Kelly sat their straddling the dead warrior's body.

"Just go ahead and kill me." The request caused Ako'Ten to pause. He already had her locked for his plasmacaster. Kelly couldn't take it anymore. Couldn't take the changes she was going through. She didn't even have a clue what was happening to her. She just wanted it all to end.

"You have fought well… Kelly. It is not my intention to hurt you. I don't care if you destroy your race or not. I care even less for this pathetic excuse for a warrior. You have just begun to understand what it means to be a Yautja, and you yourself will learn to hunt. It is not the normal way of our females, but you are by no means normal."

The warrior might as well have been speaking in riddles, as Kelly didn't understand any of it. _Destroy my own race?_ The notion was absurd.

"I will never hurt people again. You have done this to me. If I am going to hurt anyone, it is you!"

"No, you can only do so much, but there will come another."

"What do you mean?"

The Yautja warrior began to walk closer when suddenly shots rang out. Two high-powered shots pierced the warrior's head and sent him to the ground.

Kelly began to run over to the fallen Yautja when she began feeling herself being pulled away.

"C'mon Kelly you need to get out of here!" Suddenly the woods erupted with soldiers. They came from every direction and all armed heavily. Some wore weird suits that looked like tin foil to the small girl. She tried to look back to Ako'Ten's fallen form but saw that the soldiers had completely surrounded him.


	8. A new enemy

_**10 years later…**_

"Go! Go! Go!" The drill sergeant's gruff voice resonated in Kelly's head as she exploded into a full sprint. She took the wall full speed, bounding up its side gracefully. She used the rope slowly mainly as a dog and pony show for Sgt. Edward Banks. Others clambered up the wall behind her as she dropped down the other side and dashed for the next obstacle.

The cool autumn wind whipped around Kelly's toned physique as she raced across the beam. Balancing wasn't really necessary as she glided over the water. She knew they were watching, however, and made an awkward gesture to make them believe she lost balance before composing herself and blasted down the next decline.

"Let's move it! You all look like you are standing still out here!" Kelly smirked knowing that she had reserves she would never show them. Amber Milligan was the closest, trailing her by fifteen feet or more. Had Kelly been "normal" Amber would have given her a run for her money. Megan meanwhile was back in the pack somewhere, making her own way.

Grunts of frustration and heavy breathing filled Kelly's ears as she raced to the bottom of the ladder and began scaling it. "Slow down Kelly." Sgt. Banks' voice was calmer as Kelly missed a rung on the ladder with her foot and slipped.

"Yes sir." Kelly was slightly irritated with her goof, not that she thought it would cause her to lose. She once again pushed hard as she made her way across the rope bridge, which rocked sideways and threatened to twist and throw her off.

Closing the last few feet Kelly reached for her grip and jumped into the air, grabbing the zip line as wind rushed around her. Her blonde ponytail defied gravity briefly as she traveled down the line and over the murky water below.

This was the life that was chosen for them. "Military brats" definitely held true in Kelly and Megan's case. There was nothing else the girls wanted to do more than enlist. Megan wanted to go for communications, longing to get a posh location on Draceon III, although Kelly had laughed at the thought of a resort planet needing a COMM expert.

Kelly on the other hand wanted battle. It was a desire that was birthed in her long ago; when little girls usually play with dolls and dream of marrying she wanted to fight. _To hunt_. Kelly longed for the contests between her and the alien attackers, and participated in sports and competitions wherever there was one.

She liked the hunt associated with Lightball, shooting the pulsing light at others was always fun. However there was nothing to Kelly like using her body. Even though she typically had to hold back when sparring or wrestling with the others during training, she still enjoyed the mental challenge of facing an opponent. Obstacle courses, however, were boring.

Kelly almost had complete muscle memory over the course. Every wall or tire section required no serious thought, just mindless drudging. It was this fact that caused Kelly irritation over her slip on the ladder. As she tried to push it out of her mind, it just frustrated her more.

"One-oh-three. Not bad private." Sgt. Banks clicked the stopwatch again as Kelly began cooling down. The other girls' times were clocked as well as Megan came panting over to Kelly. "How in the hell are you not winded? I think you are a robot sometimes."

"What? I just exercise and watch what I eat."

"Yeah ok, like the pizza you were inhaling the other day? I think not. I just wish I was as fast as you."

Kelly smiled as she patted her face down with a towel. "Don't worry, you won't have to be fast when you are directing calls somewhere." Kelly made a phone gesture to her ear. "Thank you for calling Draceon III, the place I'll never actually end up, please hold."

"God you are such a witch sometimes."

Kelly stood beside Megan and threw her arm around her neck. "You know you love me."

"Alright ladies, enough chit chat. Go hit the showers and get ready for chow time. You all need to get your pretty little butts into bed early tonight, because I won't have my ladies looking like old women for graduation tomorrow."

"You always know how to flatter us sir." Kelly smiled as she slung her towel over her shoulder.

"And I want to see you in my office tomorrow morning at oh-five-hundred private."

"Yes sir, may I ask what it is about?"

"No you may not, now all of you get out of my sight."

--------------

The night wasn't particularly restful. Kelly didn't know why the Sgt didn't just wait until the morning to tell her. All she knew was that this was highly irregular. The Sgt didn't call anyone into his office. If he had a problem or needed to talk, he did it wherever he was. Her restlessness wasn't helped by the fact that a couple of the girls on the other side of the room were quite proficient at snoring.

Kelly sat on the edge of her bed and ran her fingers through her hair. It was a bit shorter than she liked, but that was what regulations were about. Conform, not comfort. The blue hue of moonlight that spilled into the room caused a pleasant if not sterile sight.

All the beds had perfectly pressed suits and matching skirts covered in clear plastic hanging from them. Polished shoes sat squarely beneath the suits. Formalities were something Kelly abhorred. She much preferred her fatigues, which never managed to stay clean long. Finally her eyes began to grow tired as Kelly lay down and drifted off to sleep.

Morning seemed to come too soon as Kelly stood and stretched. Anxious to find out what the sarge wanted to talk to her about, Kelly hurriedly threw on her uniform and performed a quick mirror check. Her hair was neatly tucked under her cap, which caused her few freckles that adorned her cheeks to become more prevalent. She had always thought they would go away as she got older like the others, but hers persisted.

Soft blue eyes stared at her as she exhaled slowly. She about-faced ceremoniously as she passed the others who were starting to dress.

"Good luck." Megan's half-hearted comment brought a smile to Kelly's face. Somehow she didn't think it would be that kind of meeting.

---------------

"Have a seat Kelly." Kelly was surprised at the lack of formality as the Sgt stood and motioned toward one of the chairs in front of his desk. The sarge's office was always the epitome of organization. Everything was in its place, with proper labels and divisions to make accessing information easy. His large oak desk was void of clutter, with only a holomonitor and a coffee cup full of assorted pens and pencils at opposite corners. A small data pad sat curiously between them, its controls facing Kelly.

"Pick it up and read it." Kelly took the device in hand and the screen hummed to life as she thumbed its controls.

OPERATION: HOPPER

CLASSIFICATION: Priority level delta-3; security level Charlie echo 009

Video x-encryption 4256-3 xxx117

DECRYPTING……..DONE

PLAYING

The screen opened to sounds of gunfire as a frightened young soldier's voice came over the miniature speaker.

"The rebels have broken through. Areas three and seven have been overrun. Bravo team fall back and assist Charlie team in defending Area 2. We have got to push them back."

An explosion distorted the audio as the video swung wildly around. The view from the concrete floor of a building didn't bode well for the young soldier. As if further confirmation was needed a small stream of blood began to run past the width of the video.

The sounds of someone close by screaming for a medic filled the air as gunfire erupted. Soon what was left of another man's head fell into view. His eyes were wide as he seemed to stare at the camera as if giving a final plea for help. The display went black.

OPERATION HOPPER: Low loadout. Eliminate the rebels and take back the base. Discretionary tactics necessary.

//end

Deleting…done

"Well now that you have seen the show let me tell you why you are here." Kelly's interested could not have been more peaked.

"The 'rebels' mentioned on the tape are unknown to most. The _Black Adder _faction has been secretly performing small strikes against hard targets throughout that region. Mostly just nuisance stuff, but recently they have been stepping things up. Intel seems to suggest they are looking for something, and are in a hurry to get it.

The video you saw took place three days ago. A very limited number of personnel know about it, and it is going to stay that way. I have been ordered to lead a team in there to wipe the bastards out, and I want you with us. Like the file said, this will be a quiet mission, and we will be going in light and fast. The higher ups want these rebels dealt with before major medias get wind of it and their numbers strengthen."

"Sir, do you think I am ready for something like this?" Everything within Kelly screamed _yes _to answer her own question, but she tried to compose herself.

"Absolutely. You will not be taking point, as that will be my job. But if we have to go hand to hand, then you are damn right I want you with us. We are leaving tonight at twenty-one hundred hours. Make sure not to be late. No mention of this to anyone, understood?"

"Yes sir!" Kelly stood to attention and snapped a solute, which the sarge nodded away. Kelly felt like her smile was going to break her face, and tried to quell her joy as she opened the door and walked outside.

* * *

**_A/N: I said I would start getting them out faster.. :) Hope you enjoyed this chapter! Please remember to review if you liked it (or even if you didn't) ;0)_**


	9. Free Fall

Kelly had decided during the descent that she did not like the_ VTOL (Vertical Take-off and Landing) dropship, _and easily understood why the sarge had dubbed it "shitcan", or at least that was the only way he would refer to it. Edirdus' atmosphere had at first seemed calm, but as the dropship fell it was constantly getting caught up in windsheer. A first-aid kit across from Kelly popped open and spilled bandages and gauze onto Corporal Josh "Tanker" William.

Tanker also seemed aptly named, as the man looked as though he would be more comfortable sitting in two seats. The clean-shaven man flashed a chiseled smile as he slammed a clip into his pistol and holstered it. Another wave rocked the dropship as Kelly braced herself. _When is this carnival ride going to end?_

"You nervous ma'am?" PFC Ed Jenkins, a slender man with short brown hair and a charming smile asked in a calm voice.

"C'mon man, at least wait until we are on the ground before you try to get in her pants." Tanker elbowed his friend as Kelly rolled her eyes.

"You know me Tank, wouldn't miss a chance to get in the mile high club!" The men laughed as Kelly checked her own pistol and placed it back in the holster.

"I don't think masturbation counts Private Jenkins."

"Stow it all of you. We got a damn mission here. I will let her beat the shit out of all of you when we get back, but for now let's work together how about it."

Kelly knew there was something she liked about the sarge.

"C'mon you old shitcan! Hold together a little longer will ya!" Banks yelled at the vessel as he smacked the bulkhead with his hand. "Damn thing should have been retired a long time ago."

Kelly looked out the spacious cockpit as the clouds parted and open sky filled the view. A small body of water met a lush coastline to the west. Kelly strained to see what she thought to be a shipping port that jutted out perpendicular to the coast.

The second dropship flanked their right, and seemed to float effortlessly downward with its fully-armed wings shimmering. The sight reminded her of video she had seen of Eagles back on Earth. They just seemed to hover, defying the gravity that would pull everything else down as they gracefully scanned the terrain for food.

"We've got incoming!" The pilot's voice could hardly be heard over the roar of the wind and engines. Alarms began to blare throughout the cabin and everyone began strapping in. Kelly did the same. Suddenly a bright light flashed through the cabin and Kelly looked in horror as the other dropship burst into flames. Its underbelly was blown open and part of the wing sheared off. Two bodies fell from the underside as the craft went into a pitched roll.

Kelly's dropship shuddered from an explosion closeby. The aircraft tilted and then broke into a hard descent. The effect of zero-g enveloped her body as Kelly gripped her harness. Suddenly gravity came slamming back down as the craft banked hard.

"Get this bird on the ground!" Sgt. Banks knew they would never make it in the air at this rate.

Another explosion rocked the cabin. Suddenly one of the marines across the hull literally exploded in his seat. Kelly was drenched in blood as was Tanker.

"Shit! Jenkins!" Tanker scanned over what was left of his friend as air rushed into the hole in the dropship's side. The craft began to shake violently as it began to descend. Kelly knew they had lost control. _Dammit, I don't want to die like this._

The explosions about the dropship subsided as it neared the ground. The sound of the whining engines and wind inside the hull was deafening, and Kelly felt herself about to black out.

As the ground rushed up to meet them, Kelly closed her eyes and braced herself. Hoping against hope that the aircraft wouldn't explode on impact, she was suddenly tossed around in her seat. Metal crunched as the craft impacted the ground. Trees snapped and Kelly felt the ship being slung around like some teacup ride from hell. A scream filled the air. Kelly tried to see what happened but something slammed into the side of her head and knocked her unconscious.

---------------

"Wake up Private Kelly! What the hell?" Kelly groggily opened her eyes and immediately felt something wet down the side of her face. Pain shot through her body as she touched the side of her head. She pulled her hand away and looked, knowing her hand would be covered in her own blood. She paused, however, when she saw it.

The typical crimson color was much darker, but also had a luminescence to it that almost seemed to glow.

"What is this?" Kelly's whisper didn't fall on deaf ears.

"I have no idea what in the hell is coming out of your head private, but suffice it to say that you will need to get checked out. But for the time being we have got to get the hell away from this dropship. Whoever shot us down is going to come claim their prize."

A sudden jingling caught Kelly's attention as she painfully turned to see Tanker, bleeding from his arm and head, pick up a set of tattered dog tags. He looked at them momentarily before clutching them. Tears welled in his eyes as he dropped them down into his shirt pocket. Looking away from the mess in front of him that used to be his friend PFC Jenkins, Tanker limped out the back ramp, which had dropped open sometime during the crash.

Sgt. Banks helped Kelly down the ramp, although her senses were quickly coming back to her. Once outside she marveled at what she saw. There was a strewn path of debris and downed trees for hundreds of yards behind where the ship rested.

Once on the soil, Kelly immediately stretched for the sky. Her back was a bit tight, but after a few unceremonious pops the pressure was alleviated. Suddenly aware she was being stared at, Kelly turned around to see Tanker, PFC Nigel "Fisher" Pierce all looking at her.

"Alright everyone, start unloading. We need to get a fast loadout and get out of here. Kelly, you grab the comms and ammo. Tanker, Pierece, come with me and let's get the weapons. And tanker, I want the bird rigged."

Kelly ran back into the hull, knowing they were quickly running out of time. She quickly looked over the pilot, who had multiple pieces of glass sticking out of his face, neck and chest. His hole uniform was soaked with blood.

Kelly quickly located a high-powered comm unit and clipped it to her belt. Unlike their team comms, this would be their ticket out considering their rides were no longer an option.

Finished with her task, Kelly quickly walked past Tanker, who was connecting one-half of a tripwire to the bottom of a seat. Several blocks of C4 would make sure that whoever decided to investigate the crash would get a warm reception.

Sgt. Banks handed Kelly a pulse rifle and she quickly scanned its contents.

"Its full and ready to go. Tanker. Let's get out of here." The sarge didn't wait for a reply as he clicked his comm off and took up his own arms. The four survivors disappeared into the woods east of the crash.

---------------

"Alright, we will make camp here. Tanker, put the load down. Kelly, there is a mix of items for setting a perimeter. Set us up one. Pierce, provide cover for her. Tanker, you try to get a comm link going while I figure out how the hell we are going to get out of this mess."

"Yes sir!" Kelly jerked the top off a crate and began grabbing parts for trapping. Helix mines, tripwire, motion sensors that would feed each of the two autoturrets she would position about their encampment. Once they were secure she hooked a motion tracker to her belt and turned it on. A solemn screen flickered to life, then began scanning with a widening pulse emanating from bottom to top. Kelly turned toward the men who were setting up camp and confirmed they were being picked up.

Although sorrowful over losing so many of her team, Kelly could hardly contain her excitement as she affixed a monofilament wire to a Helix mine, she forced herself to calm down, knowing that the battle would soon come and a slip with the mine could cut that short. _That's all I need, to be blown to bits on my first mission because I couldn't attach a wire._

After the second turret was in place, Kelly flipped open the controller and instantly saw a status and location for each gun in an overlay fashion. Down the right side of the screen was a camera view from each gun, with further readouts on remaining ammo and barrel temperature. Using the touch screen Kelly cycled through each gun, running them through their full range of motion.

"Sir, perimeter is secure. Mines are hot and guns are locked and loaded."

"At ease Kelly. It seems we have everything set up here, so take a break. I am finalizing our route in and will brief everyone shortly."


	10. Got Coffee

**_I know, its been a while. Should be back on track with this one. Thanks for reading! Please R&R!_**

* * *

The morning had already gotten off to a bad start. Being awakened by the sound of a mine being tripped made you more alert than all the coffee in the world, Kelly had learned. She felt sorry for the unfortunate beast that had wandered into the zone, although she had no idea what the creature actually was.

"Some indigenous species… Marcross I believe they call them. Sort of like our deer back home, although this one seems to be missing… well everything." Sgt. Banks spun around and headed back into the camp as Kelly continued to stare for a moment more.

A distant shot broke her concentration as yelling and return fire erupted from the other side of the camp. Kelly raced back to find Pierce lying on the ground. Half his head was missing, while the other side stared up at Kelly with a horrific expression.

Kelly grabbed Pierce's gun and quickly ran over to a nearby box of crates. The sound of bullets whizzed by on each side, some of them shaking the crate as they impacted. Suddenly Kelly hated this. She felt trapped. Certain death was flying unseen on each side of her.

Sensing a sudden lull in the number of rounds, Kelly jumped up and sprinted over to Sgt. Banks' position. He and Tanker were hunkered down behind a larger set of crates. "Alright Kelly, the shit has officially hit the fan. I can't seem 'em good enough to get a shot. I need you to flank them." Sgt. Banks pointed to a nearby cluster of trees.

"Disappear into the tree line and make your way around. We will provide cover to get you over there." Kelly looked over at Tanker as the man smiled and hefted a MX-31 rotary machine gun and gave Kelly a sly smile. "Got you covered sweet cheeks."

"Sir, they got Pierce."

"And they'll get us too if you don't get your ass over there. Now MOVE!" The MX-31 instantly began streaming bullets. Its rapid rate of fire sounded more like a continuous stream rather than shells flying out at fourteen hundred rounds per minute. Bullets continued to whiz by Kelly as she broke into a sprint. Air and heat from passing bullets brushed Kelly's skin as she managed to run even faster.

At the last few feet Kelly threw herself into a dive and rolled into the tree line as trees splintered and showered her with dust. Staying low, Kelly crept through the foliage, scanning the area intently. The sounds of combat could be heard in the distance, but it seemed for the time that their attention was away from Kelly's position.

Kelly suddenly felt something drip on her shoulder and instinctively slapped at it. She drew her hand back and noticed it was once again covered with her own blood. Pierce had done a good job sewing her up, but the little roll on the ground had managed to tear a few stitches loose.

The area around her was dense. Moss and vines hung down thickly, creating a canopy that was able to easily limit the sunlight. Light and dark intermingled with the other as neither had dominance over the area, but rather coexisted with the other.

Kelly thought of Megan. How she was glad her friend had not been assigned to the mission. Suddenly Megan's cushy idea for a job didn't sound so bad, although the amount of adrenaline coursing through Kelly gave her a high she hadn't felt since that night with "Rainbow". That was the last time she had ever had contact with the alien creatures, although she wanted it. She wanted to know about her mother. She wanted revenge.

A sudden _snap_ caused Kelly to freeze as she brought up her rifle in the sound's general direction. She kneeled down behind a nearby stump as a nearby bird-like creature began to emit a series of guttural clicks and squawks. Kelly paid it no attention, however, as she silently swept from side to side checking for threats.

A figure appeared to her right behind some more foliage. The dense vegetation did not lend itself to a shot, so Kelly shouldered her rifle and drew her knife. She quickly and quietly crawled to a set of trees just in front of the vegetation. Kelly's blade was cool against her forearm as she waited. The soldier began walking closer.

The man reached out with and brushed some vegetation to the side and began to step through when someone called from behind him. Acting quickly, Kelly sprang up at the man. With one smooth motion she grabbed his head and cocked it sideways, immediately plunging her knife deeply into the man's neck. Blood sprayed from the wound as she jerked the knife loose.

The other soldier, apparently having gone comfortable from being with the other soldier, was not ready as Kelly threw the knife. The knife sailed gracefully and quickly through the air, making soft but deadly wind in its wake. The other soldier quickly grabbed the knife that had plunged into his chest but suddenly found Kelly upon him as she grabbed the knife and pushed the knife up, slicing into the man's heart and sending blood over the knife and down Kelly's arms.

Life began to leave him quickly as the man's eyes rolled back into his head. Kelly jerked the knife from the man's chest and sliced across his throat.

"Now this is more like it." Kelly couldn't see the savage glee that had crept upon her face, but she could feel it inside. The rush of killing the two men made her feel invincible. Freckles began to adorn her face more heavily and her irises and pupils began to narrow, forming more of a slit than her normal eye.

Her breathing became more guttural and deep as she flung blood off her knife and sheathed it. Kelly's vision was quickly altering, but in her mind it seemed normal. Her mind quickly adjusted to the change. Kelly could feel her other senses heightening as the world became colorless and details were lost.

Kelly moved quickly but with stealth through the dense forest. The natural beauty of a nearby stream with colored bugs skimming the water was lost on the focused soldier as she picked up a faint smell. A sinister smile adorned her face.

The smell of scorched earth and smoldering shells wafted through the air as Kelly crept upon the small encampment. Small and continuous bursts of gunfire continued to erupt as quickly as it was returned. Tanker had either ran out of ammo for the big gun or he was dead.

Scanning the area, Kelly saw four men in spread out positions along a treeline. There were several others unmoving on the ground, one almost completely torn in half from Tanker's barrage. Multiple trees just beyond their positions were shredded. Confident there were no others, Kelly moved swiftly.

Kelly crept up behind the first man, who seemed totally oblivious to her presence. Her smile refused to leave. She pointed her barrel's exit at the back of the man's neck and watched as his head exploded in a shower of blood and gore. His body fell lifeless to the ground as the second man turned and aimed.

Kelly was faster, however, and placed multiple rounds through his chest. The other two had retrained and began firing as Kelly leapt behind some nearby crates and immediately began sprinting for the next bunch. She barely flinched as a bullet grazed her arm.

Kelly placed her gun around the edge of the crates and began spraying bullets. A scream filled the air and Kelly turned her attention to the last source of gunfire. Kelly once again shouldered her rifle and unsheathed her knife. She loved to kill this way. Shooting required no cunning, no stealth. Knives were harder. Knives were more personal.

She heard footsteps approaching, as suddenly the firefight was over. The footfalls were light, but the man's breathing was heavy. Suddenly the barrel of the man's gun poked around the corner. _Stupid_. Kelly grabbed the barrel, which singed her hand. She pulled hard, sending the man in a run past her. She quickly spun on her heel and planted the knife through the base of the man's skull.

Sending her palm into the knife's handle hammered the point out of the man's neck as blood flowed from both sides. The man collapsed.

Placing a boot on the man's back, Kelly yanked the knife free. Not taking care to shake it this time, Kelly walked over to the man she had shot previously. He had multiple holes peppering his body, but he was alive. Kelly squatted beside him as he continued to look and reach for his gun.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." Kelly had no idea that she had spoken in another language, but the soldier did. The man's terrified expression only worsened as his eyes met Kelly's, and he saw the monster she was turning into. He could only manage a muffled scream as he looked at her, suddenly grabbing for his gun with renewed vigor.

"Scared of a little girl? For shame. Such a big strong man like yourself." Kelly's brain processed the Yautja language, and converted it seamlessly for her.

"Devil! Devil! Devil!" The man cried out with the same tired voice.

"Well that's not nice. I guess we can't be friends." Kelly stood and swiftly brought her foot down on the man's neck. A sadistic crunching sound was followed by the last breath escaping the man's mouth.

Kelly stood looking at the blank expression on the man's face as another sound caught her attention.

"What in the hell?" Kelly looked to see Tanker with a horrified expression on his face.

"At ease Tanker."

"No way, what in the hell is she?" Tanker was quickly losing it.

"Kelly, calm yourself down over behind those crates. I will deal with Tanker."

Kelly wondered what Sgt. Banks meant. Looking down, she saw that she was literally covered with blood. _Maybe that's it._ Kelly saluted and followed with a "Yes sir" in guttural form, which again sent Tanker into a fit.

"Geez, some men just can't handle women in combat."

Kelly sat and began wiping her knife clean.


	11. To Hell

A setting sun cast long shadows on the three as they moved stealthily through the undergrowth

A setting sun cast long shadows on the three as they moved stealthily through the undergrowth. Sgt. Banks was on point, with Tanker bringing up the rear. Kelly could tell the large man was nervous from his rate of breathing, and she constantly felt him watching her.

"What you saw is classified and you will never repeat it to anyone!" Sgt. Banks had made sure that his orders were clear, although Kelly didn't quite understand them. Women had been in combat for generations, so she was nothing new. Kelly contemplated the savagery of her attack and decided that it must have something to do with it, although she was sure Sgt. Banks nor Tanker would give her an answer.

A light breeze caressed the group as they exited the forest into a field with flowing stalks. It looked like pictures of wheat fields Kelly had seen in movies back home, although she doubted this was the same crop. A clear starry night gave a cooled ambient lighting across the landscape. The sway of the stalks made a beautiful blue wave across the ascending plane in front of them as it danced with the breeze.

"It looks like we are about twenty clicks out from our reported target. There should be another tree line on the other side of the hill. Let's get over there and bed down for a few hours shuteye."

Kelly noted the grass was taller than she had initially thought, as it gently enveloped and caressed her thighs. The trio moved low and fast as they traversed the easy terrain. The view from the top was a breathtaking blue, as the hill rolled down as easily as it did up. A small creek divided the base from the thick forest beyond as some bird-like creatures swooped down on it repeatedly trying to gather food and water.

Kelly was about to remark how surreal the scene was until they all were greeted to a loud shrieking noise. Bumps instantly covered Kelly's arms as the echo faded. The sound had come from seemingly far away, but somehow that wasn't comforting.

"It appears that sound came from where we are heading. Let's get down there and set up a small perimeter. We don't have much left, so we will have to be in alert mode on our watches." Sgt. Banks began descending the hill as another sound echoed softly. The sound of machine gun bursts sounded uncontrolled. Someone down there was freaking out.

Kelly suddenly got a look at Tanker as he stepped passed her. The man was good at hiding his feelings, but she noticed his hands twitching and forever changing their grips on his rifle.

"Nervous big man?" Kelly asked matter-of-factly.

"Just stay away from me Kelly."

"That's enough you two. Tanker, you will work with her and me if we are all to get out of here."

The dialogue was disconcerting. Apparently Tanker _was_ afraid of her, although she didn't know why. Kelly looked down to her hands as the three started down the hill. They too were clinched around her own weapon, although there was no fidgeting or tremors to be seen.

Kelly had done well to wipe the blood off her self, although her arms were left with a pinkish stain. The stain was further darkened by the moon's blue hue. Kelly knew her regulation-cut blonde hair was also stained and probably matted as well. Still, showering was the furthest thing from her mind as she saw a sudden light from beyond the tree lines. The boom took several seconds for to reach their ears, and like all the other sounds, it was quite faint. It made Kelly wonder, however, about the screeching sound they had heard.

_What kind of creature could make a sound that would travel such a distance?_

"What the hell you think is going on down there Serge?" Tanker's voice seemed calm, as Kelly didn't detect any quivering in it.

"Hell if I know, but it sounds like someone or something is doing our job for us. The _Black Adder_ faction is supposed to be pretty well trained and equipped, but it sounds like a bunch of greenhorns running around shooting at ghosts."

It was Kelly's turn to be on watch as she shouldered her rifle and stretched her legs out. Tanker handed her a pair of night vision goggles, but as she began to put them on her vision began to adjust itself. Suddenly the forest appeared around her in a strange haze, but one that she could distinguish the various patterns before her. Kelly thought about giving the goggles back to Tanker, then thought twice about it and just let the optics rest on her head.

Silence surrounded the camp, with the exception of some nearby chirps and clicks of what Kelly assumed to be small white creatures that she had around the camp previously. The gunfire had gone silent hours before, and since there had been no signs of conflict, or life for that matter.

The others stirred as Kelly placed her rifle against a nearby tree and planted her hands firmly against it. Standing around for hours looking at nothing had not been her idea of fun, and her legs echoed the sentiment. Kelly pushed into the tree with her hands and began stretching her calves. Her form was beautiful to look at, although it was covered in battles' remnants. Sgt. Banks caught himself admiring her form as her back gracefully arced. Noting his error, he quickly averted his eyes.

Alright people, let's move out. I want sight of the target area with some recon by nightfall. By my calculations this planet has a period of several days' worth of darkness coming. It will be starting this afternoon, which means we don't have to wait forever to get in there and kill these bastards.

"What about that damn noise we heard sir?" Tanker slid back the hammer on his HBR-50 and checked the chamber before slapping it shut.

"Let's just hope its either on our side, or it has gone the hell home. If not, then we will kill it."

"We don't even know what _it_ is sir." Sgt. Banks cast Kelly a glare.

"Whatever _it _is, Kelly, it is not part of this mission. For all we know it was some cat or something that belongs to this planet. It is not our problem unless it becomes our problem. Got it?"

"Yessir."

It was nightfall when the three entered the complex. There appeared to be three clusters of buildings. Each set had one large circular domed building in the center surrounded by smaller square buildings that were tethered to it. One of the buildings had a single light out front that was flickering, and there appeared to be bloodstains on the front and doors leading into it.

Kelly swept the area with her rifle, looking for any signs of hostile forces. The same calming wind was still gently blowing, but she now noticed an acrid smell that accompanied it. The stench wafted around the three as they fought the urge to gag.

"Dead guys. But there is something else too, can't figure it out."

Sgt. Banks approached the first building as its bulb continued to flicker. Upon a closer look, Kelly noticed what appeared to be slash marks, as well as holes in the building's exterior. These holes, however, were not bullet holes. It appeared something had eaten through the metal structure, leaving a small trail as it dribbled down the building's side.

A hard jerk from Sgt. Banks opened the door, which let go of its hinges and fell to the ground. Another wave of stench hit the group as they peered inside. The first few lights down the dim hallway were completely out, but the last two continued to flicker in vain. One light had been torn partially from the ceiling.

Tanker clicked on a large flashlight as a secondary source and aimed it down the hallway. As he shined the flashlight about the interior, they could all see flashes of a battle gone wrong. Bullet holes littered the walls and ceilings and blood covered the floor. Torn bits of bodies were strewn about.

Kelly looked to the left as her vision adjusted away from the light and caught a glimpse of half a person's head. One side looked to have been violently ripped open, losing its eyeball in the process. The look on the rest of the face was pure terror.

"Steady yourselves people. We need to find a comm room. I am thinking we need some more firepower, or at least an evac at this point. This mission looks pretty well gone to shit."

"Looks like the comm room is one level down." Kelly glanced at the building directory posted on the wall to her left. The lower half had splotches of blood and gore on it and was almost indecipherable.

The group crept cautiously through the hallway, which was big enough to allow them room to move freely. Sgt. Banks again took point and swept left to right, while Kelly had the feeling in her gut to keep her sights trained on the ceiling.

Kelly looked to a partially open doorway to her right as they rounded a corner. The room had slightly more lighting that had managed to spill out into the hallway. The room itself was a mess. Tables that looked like they supported lab equipment had been turned over. Broken glass littered the floor and had been painted red. Blood also dotted the tables and walls, but Kelly did not see any bodies lying about.

After a tense walk down a flight of stairs and another short hallway, Sgt. Banks stopped in front of a door labeled _Communications._ The group was relieved to see that the equipment inside appeared to be in working order. A body with headphones slumped over one console. The man's blue uniform had been torn open and his back shredded. Congealed blood had pooled heavily beneath him.

Sgt. Banks walked over and grabbed the man's headphones. He knocked the man onto the floor and began working the console in front of him.

"Come in Starmac seven seven two. This is Sgt. Banks with Hopper group requesting evac. Anyone copy?"

"This is Starmac seven seven two. We have you on a pickup route. ETA three hours. Over."

"Alright people. Let's hold tight until they get here. I didn't come to play janitor, and it looks like the battle's…"

Sgt. Banks stopped mid-sentence as he stared at the creature approaching them on the floor. It was small and spider-like in nature. It scurried quickly toward them, seemingly unafraid. Suddenly the creature launched itself off the floor at Kelly. Barely managing to have time, Kelly threw her arms up as the creature's legs wrapped around them.

Kelly felt something wrap around her neck and tried to bring the creature closer. The creature had a stench that permeated Kelly's nostrils. Kelly pushed back with her arms and pushed the creature farther from her face as its tail continued to grip her neck.

Kelly's world was beginning to dim as Tanker and Sgt. Banks each grabbed onto the tail and began to loosen it. Slowly breathing became easier as the creature's tail became slack and was then gone.

"Hold it!" Sgt. Banks ordered Tanker as he grabbed he knife from his sheath.

"Kelly, hold it so the tail hangs down!"

Kelly had the creature hanging from her arms as Sgt. Banks carefully and methodically cut into the creature at an odd angle.

Sizzling sounds filled the room as the creature shrieked and a dull yellowish-green liquid spat across the room and then ran down its tail.

"Stand clear!" Tanker was slow to react as the creature swung its tail. Drops of its blood landed on his pants and began to eat through. The large man screamed as the acid ate into his flesh.

Suddenly the creature let go and dropped to the floor lifeless.

Sgt. Banks immediately produced a needle and stuck it into Tanker's leg.

"This will help with the pain." Serge's voice sounded grim.

"What the hell is that thing?" Kelly looked at it curiously as its legs curled in on themselves.

Suddenly hisses and clanks and other noises echoed into the room.

"We have got to get out of here. We will all be dead in three hours."


End file.
